Cooper T51 - F1

Details

Having spent most of its life in museums this Cooper T51 has retained a level of originality which is uncommon with other T51's which have had a hard working life for the past 60 years. As such it is regarded to be the most original of all the T51's in existence. The car was believed to be Bruce McLaren's 1959 No 2 works car although the chassis was raced without a number. This is documented by Cooper Marque expert Doug Nye. It is believed that for customs purposes the car was stamped with the number F1-W-59 at the end of its active works life when it was sold to F1 racer Jo Siffert who displayed the car at his museum in Fribourg, Switzerland. After Siffert's death in 1971, Tom Wheatcroft purchased the car for the World renowned Donington Grand Prix Collection. The car was 'exercised' and well maintained but never really used in anger with the exception of a Road & Track track test where Phil Hill put the car through its paces at Donington Park and the support race for the US GP West in the early 1980's where Dan Gurney won outright against a field of similar historic F1 cars. The car represents a fantastic opportunity to buy a unique example of a World Championship winning make and model of Formula 1 car.